$15k for a load-bearing wall in Stittsville, how do I judge that quote?

There are too few published Ottawa prices to say whether the figure you were quoted is high, low or fair. What you can do is check what the quote covers, because a wall removal that looks like one job is actually several, and a quote that leaves steps out will cost more to complete.

A fair quote for a load-bearing wall removal should itemise each of these paid steps separately:

• Design: a qualified, registered designer (BCIN), an engineer or an architect sizes the beam, posts and footings; if the City asks for drawings, they come from one of those people (or from you, for a house you own)
• The building permit, including the City of Ottawa fee, which is $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value with a $117 minimum
• Temporary support while the existing wall comes out
• Materials: the beam, posts, hardware, fasteners and any blocking
• Labour for framing, setting the beam and posts, and confirming the load path to the foundation
• Patching and finishing: drywall, ceiling, floor patching and any trim work at the new opening
• Disposal of the demolished wall framing

If any of those lines is missing, ask the carpenter to account for it. Some quotes bundle items; that is fine as long as you can see what is included. A quote that covers only labour and materials but not design, the permit or patching is not a complete picture of what the job will cost.

The permit fee itself is a small part: on a $10,000 construction valuation the City's fee works out to $127.50. The valuation the City uses covers all materials, labour, overhead and professional fees, so the permit cost scales with the full job value, not just one line.

What can shift a quote is the design step. The beam size, the post sizes, and whether the load path requires work at the foundation all depend on what the designer finds when they trace how the house is framed above and below that wall. A quote given before design is done is an estimate, and it can change once the designer specifies the actual members.

Before you compare quotes or decide whether the figure you were quoted is reasonable, ask the carpenter whether a designer has already sized the beam and posts, or whether that step is still ahead of you, because the answer tells you how firm the number actually is.